Ireland has an incredibly rich and celebrated history of amateur golf, with icons like Christy O’Connor, JB Carr and others creating a legacy in golf not just at home but across the globe.Ireland’s amateur championships have become a benchmark for elite golfers, with some of the country’s top professionals etching their names into Irish golfing history long before they won on the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and even the career grand slam.The men’s Irish amateur calendar is made up of 6 Championships, Four Provincial championships that take place at the same venues every year (mostly). These are the North of Ireland at Royal Portrush, The South at Lahinch, The East at County Louth and The West at County Sligo golf club. The two remaining Championships, the Irish Amateur Open and the Irish Amateur Close move around the country to different venues each year.This is the first episode in a 6 episode series where I’ll be doing a deep dive into each championship, their history, their winners and their legacy.In this episode we’re going to look at the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, hosted at County Sligo Golf Club. The West is the first championship of the Irish amateur calendar season, played every year on the Easter bank holiday weekend. The championship dates back to 1923, and was first won by Larry P. Vernon back when the championship was decided over 36 holes stroke-play qualifying for 16 places in matchplay with a 36-hole Final. The first ever West of Ireland was played from 13th-16th August.The West has an amazing list of winners and was dominated initially by “the big 4”. In 1930 Cecil Ewing won his first of 10 West of Ireland titles. This dominance was only out-done by JB Carr who in 1946 won his first of 12 West of Ireland titles.Joe Carr is inarguably, Ireland’s most respected amateur golfer. His career achievements will never be equalled, winning 37 Irish Amateur Championships, representing the Walker Cup 11 times and winning the British Amateur 3 times in 1953, ’58 & 1960. He is the first Irishman to make ‘the cut’ at The Masters and speaking of the respect Joe Carr had in the Irish golf world, Herbert Warren Wind said ”Joe Carr receives the same overwhelming adoration in Ireland today as Bobby Jones did in America in the twenties”J.B first played the West in 1940 and won his first West of Ireland title in 1946, with his 12th win coming in 1966, five years before his son, Roddy Carr, would go on to win at Rosses Point.On the 25th anniversary of the West, Joe Carr and Cecil Ewing faced off in the final for the first time. This was the first of four ‘West’ Finals between the two and all four went to Carr.Join The Bogey Men as we explore the rich golf history of Ireland, showcasing the achievements of its amateur legends and young talents. This golf story features insights from David O'Donovan and highlights the journey of golfers following in the footsteps of icons like Rory McIlroy. Tune in to our golf podcast for more exciting content!
Ireland